Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Romanelli 
With production credits (because producers are important, too). Also track listings, label info and short reviews written by yours truly. I hope this chart is helpful, entertaining, and at least interesting.
- Chart updated: 04/12/2024 14:15
- (Created: 06/01/2012 04:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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1995-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & SON VOLT
1. Windfall
2. Live Free
3. Tear Stained Eye
4. Route
5. Ten Second News
6. Drown
7. Loose String
8. Out Of The Picture
9. Catching On
10. Too Early
11. Mystifies Me
In the aftermath of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, the race was on to see which member was going to come out with the best first album: Jeff Tweedy's Wilco, or Jay Farrar's Son Volt. The winner was, in a landslide, Son Volt. Trace is not only a great album, it's one of the greatest alt country albums of all time. Farrar shows an uncharacteristic optimism here that shines throughout the album.
"Windfall" is a beautiful opener with it's blessing of a chorus: "May the wind take your trouble away". "Tear Stained Eye", "Loose String" and "Drown" are among Farrar's best songs. The album rates almost as high as Tupelo's swan song, Anodyne, and should be a must for anyone who loves alt country. This is Farrar at his peak, and it should not be missed. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & SON VOLT
1. Windfall
2. Live Free
3. Tear Stained Eye
4. Route
5. Ten Second News
6. Drown
7. Loose String
8. Out Of The Picture
9. Catching On
10. Too Early
11. Mystifies Me
In the aftermath of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, the race was on to see which member was going to come out with the best first album: Jeff Tweedy's Wilco, or Jay Farrar's Son Volt. The winner was, in a landslide, Son Volt. Trace is not only a great album, it's one of the greatest alt country albums of all time. Farrar shows an uncharacteristic optimism here that shines throughout the album.
"Windfall" is a beautiful opener with it's blessing of a chorus: "May the wind take your trouble away". "Tear Stained Eye", "Loose String" and "Drown" are among Farrar's best songs. The album rates almost as high as Tupelo's swan song, Anodyne, and should be a must for anyone who loves alt country. This is Farrar at his peak, and it should not be missed. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
958
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9
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2008 – NEW WEST
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife
2. 3 Dimes Down
3. The Righteous Path
4. I’m Sorry Huston
5. Perfect Timing
6. Daddy Needs A Drink
7. Self Destructive Zones
8. Bob
9. Home Field Advantage
10. The Opening Act
11. Lisa’s Birthday
12. That Man I Shot
13. The Purgatory Line
14. The Home Front
15. Checkout Time In Vegas
16. You And Your Crystal Meth
17. Goode’s Field Road
18. A Ghost To Most
19. The Monument Valley
So, how did Drive-By Truckers survive losing their up and coming songwriting star Jason Isbell? They went back in the studio and recorded a double album, that’s how. And while this album may not have the immediacy and power of previous albums like Decoration Day, A Blessing And A Curse and The Dirty South, it does stand up very well on its own. The band returns to a more country oriented sound here, and the songs are a bit simpler, but there are plenty of gems to be found. Mike Cooley, in particular, steps up and helps fill the shoes left vacant by Isbell. He makes the most of his seven contributions to the album, and his best lines are classic: “Bob ain’t light in the loafers/He might kneel, but he never bends over” (from “Bob”), and “Skeletons ain’t got no place to stick their money/Nobody makes britches that size” (from “A Ghost To Most”). “Self Destructive Zones” and “Perfect Timing” are high quality, as is the refreshing “Lisa’s Birthday”.
Patterson Hood’s highlights include “Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife”, about musician Bryan Harvey, who was murdered with his family in a home invasion: “Daddy Needs A Drink”, and “You And Your Crystal Meth”. Bassist Shonna Tucker brings three songs herself, including the fine “The Purgatory Line”. There’s a bit of filler here (a double album was certainly an ambitious idea), but Brighter Than Creation’s Dark is a nice transitional album for the band, a return to their roots, and a glimpse of what was to come in the future. And they have stayed busy: since this album, they have released three studio efforts, three live albums, and a pair of compilations. Drive-By Truckers have always released listenable records, and this one is certainly no exception. Always consistently good…this is one of those bands that you just can’t go wrong with. Carriers of the torch for Southern rock, for damn sure. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife
2. 3 Dimes Down
3. The Righteous Path
4. I’m Sorry Huston
5. Perfect Timing
6. Daddy Needs A Drink
7. Self Destructive Zones
8. Bob
9. Home Field Advantage
10. The Opening Act
11. Lisa’s Birthday
12. That Man I Shot
13. The Purgatory Line
14. The Home Front
15. Checkout Time In Vegas
16. You And Your Crystal Meth
17. Goode’s Field Road
18. A Ghost To Most
19. The Monument Valley
So, how did Drive-By Truckers survive losing their up and coming songwriting star Jason Isbell? They went back in the studio and recorded a double album, that’s how. And while this album may not have the immediacy and power of previous albums like Decoration Day, A Blessing And A Curse and The Dirty South, it does stand up very well on its own. The band returns to a more country oriented sound here, and the songs are a bit simpler, but there are plenty of gems to be found. Mike Cooley, in particular, steps up and helps fill the shoes left vacant by Isbell. He makes the most of his seven contributions to the album, and his best lines are classic: “Bob ain’t light in the loafers/He might kneel, but he never bends over” (from “Bob”), and “Skeletons ain’t got no place to stick their money/Nobody makes britches that size” (from “A Ghost To Most”). “Self Destructive Zones” and “Perfect Timing” are high quality, as is the refreshing “Lisa’s Birthday”.
Patterson Hood’s highlights include “Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife”, about musician Bryan Harvey, who was murdered with his family in a home invasion: “Daddy Needs A Drink”, and “You And Your Crystal Meth”. Bassist Shonna Tucker brings three songs herself, including the fine “The Purgatory Line”. There’s a bit of filler here (a double album was certainly an ambitious idea), but Brighter Than Creation’s Dark is a nice transitional album for the band, a return to their roots, and a glimpse of what was to come in the future. And they have stayed busy: since this album, they have released three studio efforts, three live albums, and a pair of compilations. Drive-By Truckers have always released listenable records, and this one is certainly no exception. Always consistently good…this is one of those bands that you just can’t go wrong with. Carriers of the torch for Southern rock, for damn sure. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
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1998 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 11/17/2019]
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 11/17/2019]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
733
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2004 – NEW WEST
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Where The Devil Don’t Stay
2. Tornadoes
3. The Day John Henry Died
4. Puttin’ People On The Moon
5. Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
6. The Sands Of Iwo Jima
7. Danko/Manuel
8. The Boys From Alabama
9. Cottonseed
10. The Buford Stick
11. Daddy’s Cup
12. Never Gonna Change
13. Goddamn Lonely Love
If you ask me what my favorite album is, I can’t answer that. If you ask me what my favorite song is, I’ll put on “Danko/Manuel” by Drive-By Truckers and tell you that this is as close as it gets. In fact, if you’re going to be in a band with me, being willing to play this song is the first test. The Dirty South, the Truckers fifth album, is as good as they get…and that’s pretty damned excellent. Having a songwriter like Jason Isbell limited to just four songs speaks volumes about how loaded the Truckers really were. A loose concept album about the downside of Southern living, The Dirty South marks the peak of the career of this excellent Southern rock and alt-country giant. It’s all good here.
Mike Cooley delivers some of his most memorable material in “Where The Devil Don’t Stay”, “Daddy’s Cup”, and the brilliant story song “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”. Patterson Hood brings “Puttin’ People On The Moon”, about people driven down by environmental pollution. “Tornadoes” and “The Sands Of Iwo Jima” are excellent, and “The Boys Of Alabama” gives you the “other side of the story” of Buford Pusser and Walking Tall. And Isbell, along with the perfect “Danko/Manuel”, brings the rollicking “Never Gonna Change”, and closes things with this perfect lyric: “I’ll take two of what you’re having/I’ll take all of what you’ve got/To kill this Goddamned lonely, Goddamned lonely love”. This is a great album. Please go buy it. [First added to this chart: 04/19/2017]
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Where The Devil Don’t Stay
2. Tornadoes
3. The Day John Henry Died
4. Puttin’ People On The Moon
5. Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
6. The Sands Of Iwo Jima
7. Danko/Manuel
8. The Boys From Alabama
9. Cottonseed
10. The Buford Stick
11. Daddy’s Cup
12. Never Gonna Change
13. Goddamn Lonely Love
If you ask me what my favorite album is, I can’t answer that. If you ask me what my favorite song is, I’ll put on “Danko/Manuel” by Drive-By Truckers and tell you that this is as close as it gets. In fact, if you’re going to be in a band with me, being willing to play this song is the first test. The Dirty South, the Truckers fifth album, is as good as they get…and that’s pretty damned excellent. Having a songwriter like Jason Isbell limited to just four songs speaks volumes about how loaded the Truckers really were. A loose concept album about the downside of Southern living, The Dirty South marks the peak of the career of this excellent Southern rock and alt-country giant. It’s all good here.
Mike Cooley delivers some of his most memorable material in “Where The Devil Don’t Stay”, “Daddy’s Cup”, and the brilliant story song “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”. Patterson Hood brings “Puttin’ People On The Moon”, about people driven down by environmental pollution. “Tornadoes” and “The Sands Of Iwo Jima” are excellent, and “The Boys Of Alabama” gives you the “other side of the story” of Buford Pusser and Walking Tall. And Isbell, along with the perfect “Danko/Manuel”, brings the rollicking “Never Gonna Change”, and closes things with this perfect lyric: “I’ll take two of what you’re having/I’ll take all of what you’ve got/To kill this Goddamned lonely, Goddamned lonely love”. This is a great album. Please go buy it. [First added to this chart: 04/19/2017]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
853
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2003-SUB POP
Produced By JIMMY TAMBORELLO & CHRIS WALLA
1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
2. Such Great Heights
3. Sleeping In
4. Nothing Better
5. Recycled Air
6. Clark Gable
7. We Will Become Silhouettes
8. This Place Is A Prison
9. Brand New Colony
10. Natural Anthem
The Postal Service was formed out of a chance collaboration between produder Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard, the front man for Death Cab For Cutie. The album became a huge hit, not only because of the single "We Will Become Silhouettes", but because it was a perfect mix of rock and electronic music. It does take some getting used to, but once you get hooked, it's actually a pretty great record.
There has been no follow up, and according to Gibbard, there never will be one. So this remains sort of the David & David of the 2000's...a one off great record with no 2nd album in sight. This is worth having, though. Very much so. [First added to this chart: 10/02/2014]
Produced By JIMMY TAMBORELLO & CHRIS WALLA
1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
2. Such Great Heights
3. Sleeping In
4. Nothing Better
5. Recycled Air
6. Clark Gable
7. We Will Become Silhouettes
8. This Place Is A Prison
9. Brand New Colony
10. Natural Anthem
The Postal Service was formed out of a chance collaboration between produder Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard, the front man for Death Cab For Cutie. The album became a huge hit, not only because of the single "We Will Become Silhouettes", but because it was a perfect mix of rock and electronic music. It does take some getting used to, but once you get hooked, it's actually a pretty great record.
There has been no follow up, and according to Gibbard, there never will be one. So this remains sort of the David & David of the 2000's...a one off great record with no 2nd album in sight. This is worth having, though. Very much so. [First added to this chart: 10/02/2014]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,149
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2001-MADJACK
Produced By CODY DICKINSON & LUCERO
1. Little Silver Heart
2. My Best Girl
3. Wandering Star
4. A Dangerous Thing
5. Drink ‘Till We’re Gone
6. Raising Hell
7. Banks Of The Arkansas
8. All Sewn Up
9. Wasted
10. Hold Fast
11. Better Than This
12. All These Love Songs
13. No Roses No More
14. It Gets Worse At Night
If you walked into the darkest, loneliest bar in the southern United States, ordered up a beer and a shot, and settled into a night of drinking alone, the voice you would hear singing all night would be that of Lucero’s Ben Nichols. A band that is described as having a very Memphis sound, they were helped early along by benefactors Luther and Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi All Stars: both played on this album, and Cody helped produce irt. After working in Memphis for a number of years, they released this record and began a trip that continues today as one of the hardest working rock bands in the world.
This album, their first full length release, is alt-country at its most alt. Containing additional elements of punk and soul while maintaining the raw sound that defines Lucero, the band is as good as can be…but the real star is Nichols. His voice creaks through every song, bring a unique quality and toughness to the songs…a big reason why Lucero stands out as much as they do. Technically a debut album, this is a great start to a Lucero collection that so far includes 8 studio albums. And they tour almost non stop, so getting to see them shouldn’t be a problem. This is a fine first effort, and there were even better ones to come. [First added to this chart: 12/06/2013]
Produced By CODY DICKINSON & LUCERO
1. Little Silver Heart
2. My Best Girl
3. Wandering Star
4. A Dangerous Thing
5. Drink ‘Till We’re Gone
6. Raising Hell
7. Banks Of The Arkansas
8. All Sewn Up
9. Wasted
10. Hold Fast
11. Better Than This
12. All These Love Songs
13. No Roses No More
14. It Gets Worse At Night
If you walked into the darkest, loneliest bar in the southern United States, ordered up a beer and a shot, and settled into a night of drinking alone, the voice you would hear singing all night would be that of Lucero’s Ben Nichols. A band that is described as having a very Memphis sound, they were helped early along by benefactors Luther and Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi All Stars: both played on this album, and Cody helped produce irt. After working in Memphis for a number of years, they released this record and began a trip that continues today as one of the hardest working rock bands in the world.
This album, their first full length release, is alt-country at its most alt. Containing additional elements of punk and soul while maintaining the raw sound that defines Lucero, the band is as good as can be…but the real star is Nichols. His voice creaks through every song, bring a unique quality and toughness to the songs…a big reason why Lucero stands out as much as they do. Technically a debut album, this is a great start to a Lucero collection that so far includes 8 studio albums. And they tour almost non stop, so getting to see them shouldn’t be a problem. This is a fine first effort, and there were even better ones to come. [First added to this chart: 12/06/2013]
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1997-OUTPOST
Produced By JIM SCOTT
1. Inn Town
2. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
3. Yesterday's News
4. 16 Days
5. Everything I Do
6. Houses On The Hill
7. Turn Around
8. Dancing With The Woman At The Bar
9. Waiting To Derail
10. Avenues
11. Losering
12. Somebody Remembers The Rose
13. Not Home Anymore
Whether Ryan Adams call himself by his name or Whiskeytown, the results are about the same. He couldn't keep a lineup together for the short lived Whiskeytown, but with the 2nd album, Strangers Almanac, he hit paydirt. Covered in great harmonies and equally great songs, this is one of alt country's greatest records. "Inn Town" opens the door, and there's no closing it after "Excuse Me". This never wavers, and gets even better with "Dancing With The Woman At The Bar" and the hypnotizing "Losering".
Whiskeytown was done after this album, although Pneumonia was released after the breakup. Adams has gone on to great solo success. Strangers Almanac remains an essential record. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By JIM SCOTT
1. Inn Town
2. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
3. Yesterday's News
4. 16 Days
5. Everything I Do
6. Houses On The Hill
7. Turn Around
8. Dancing With The Woman At The Bar
9. Waiting To Derail
10. Avenues
11. Losering
12. Somebody Remembers The Rose
13. Not Home Anymore
Whether Ryan Adams call himself by his name or Whiskeytown, the results are about the same. He couldn't keep a lineup together for the short lived Whiskeytown, but with the 2nd album, Strangers Almanac, he hit paydirt. Covered in great harmonies and equally great songs, this is one of alt country's greatest records. "Inn Town" opens the door, and there's no closing it after "Excuse Me". This never wavers, and gets even better with "Dancing With The Woman At The Bar" and the hypnotizing "Losering".
Whiskeytown was done after this album, although Pneumonia was released after the breakup. Adams has gone on to great solo success. Strangers Almanac remains an essential record. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
678
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1972-POLYDOR
Produced By TOM DOWD
1. Ain't Wasting Time No More
2. Les Brers In A Minor
3. Melissa
4. Mountain Jam
5. One Way Out
6. Trouble No More
7. Stand Back
8. Blue Sky
9. Little Martha
3 songs (the last 3) were recorded with Duane Allman before he was killed in a mororcycle accident. The effect of losing him would be felt throughout their long career, which continued until 2014. After Eat A Peach, they had one more great album in them. Eat A Peach is almost a classic, and would be better had they released a single instead of a double album. "Mountain Jam", (which, along with 2 other tracks, are from the famous Fillmore East concert. At the end of the Fillmore album, you can hear the beginning of this song as "Whipping Post" fades out.) clocks in at a whopping 33 minutes, and takes some doing to listen to all the way through. But it was a necessary part of the album.
Otherwise, this is great. The first 3 tracks were recorded without Duane, and are as good as anything they did with him. "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More" are also from Fillmore, and the last 3 with Duane, particularly Dicky Betts' "Blue Sky", are excellent.
A band picking up and moving on from tragedy. Not for the last time, either. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By TOM DOWD
1. Ain't Wasting Time No More
2. Les Brers In A Minor
3. Melissa
4. Mountain Jam
5. One Way Out
6. Trouble No More
7. Stand Back
8. Blue Sky
9. Little Martha
3 songs (the last 3) were recorded with Duane Allman before he was killed in a mororcycle accident. The effect of losing him would be felt throughout their long career, which continued until 2014. After Eat A Peach, they had one more great album in them. Eat A Peach is almost a classic, and would be better had they released a single instead of a double album. "Mountain Jam", (which, along with 2 other tracks, are from the famous Fillmore East concert. At the end of the Fillmore album, you can hear the beginning of this song as "Whipping Post" fades out.) clocks in at a whopping 33 minutes, and takes some doing to listen to all the way through. But it was a necessary part of the album.
Otherwise, this is great. The first 3 tracks were recorded without Duane, and are as good as anything they did with him. "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More" are also from Fillmore, and the last 3 with Duane, particularly Dicky Betts' "Blue Sky", are excellent.
A band picking up and moving on from tragedy. Not for the last time, either. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,219
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1990-AMERICAN
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick N' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold
The debut album from The Black Crowes came from almost nowhere...The Georgia Satellites had already come from that place four years earlier. But The Black Crowes had more swagger, and they had better songs. And on this album, they reached a commercial peak that they would never again get close to, but they would become more adventerous and improve on the blueprint they drew up here. The big single was a smart Otis Redding cover ("Hard To Handle), and they also scored with "Jealous Again" and "She Talks To Angels".
"Stare It Cold" and "Seeing Things" are standouts, giving a glimpse at how much better they would become after this album,. and after replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford. This is a fine debut album that would be quickly overshadowed by their next two albums. It's the real return of Southern rock, years after the Skynyrd plane crash effectively ended it. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick N' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold
The debut album from The Black Crowes came from almost nowhere...The Georgia Satellites had already come from that place four years earlier. But The Black Crowes had more swagger, and they had better songs. And on this album, they reached a commercial peak that they would never again get close to, but they would become more adventerous and improve on the blueprint they drew up here. The big single was a smart Otis Redding cover ("Hard To Handle), and they also scored with "Jealous Again" and "She Talks To Angels".
"Stare It Cold" and "Seeing Things" are standouts, giving a glimpse at how much better they would become after this album,. and after replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford. This is a fine debut album that would be quickly overshadowed by their next two albums. It's the real return of Southern rock, years after the Skynyrd plane crash effectively ended it. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,278
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1978-ELEKTRA
Produced By ROY THOMAS BAKER
1. Good Times Roll
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Just What I Needed
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. You're All I've Got Tonight
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Moving In Stereo
9. All Mixed Up
Ah, The Cars. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 people who list them as their favorite band...and you'd also have a hard time finding 5 people who hate them. Their debut came from nowhere in 1978, and gave us all a glimpse of what New Wave should have been like, before it actually happened. The album plays like a greatest hits disc, with everything from start to finish being familiar. They didn't overdo the keyboards, they put on a hefty helping of guitar, and they got the robotic vocal thing just right. Songs like "Good Times Roll" are stiff and overly clean...and they groove at the same time. How did they do it? We may never know.
This is still The Cars disc to have. They had some ups and downs in their career, but they never matched this album. It's a good time from start to finish. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By ROY THOMAS BAKER
1. Good Times Roll
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Just What I Needed
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. You're All I've Got Tonight
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Moving In Stereo
9. All Mixed Up
Ah, The Cars. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 people who list them as their favorite band...and you'd also have a hard time finding 5 people who hate them. Their debut came from nowhere in 1978, and gave us all a glimpse of what New Wave should have been like, before it actually happened. The album plays like a greatest hits disc, with everything from start to finish being familiar. They didn't overdo the keyboards, they put on a hefty helping of guitar, and they got the robotic vocal thing just right. Songs like "Good Times Roll" are stiff and overly clean...and they groove at the same time. How did they do it? We may never know.
This is still The Cars disc to have. They had some ups and downs in their career, but they never matched this album. It's a good time from start to finish. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,094
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 59. Page 1 of 6
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1970s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1980s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 26 | 26% | |
| 2000s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2010s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Drive-By Truckers | 3 | 3% | |
| The Band | 3 | 3% | |
| Nirvana | 2 | 2% | |
| Wilco | 2 | 2% | |
| Jason Isbell | 2 | 2% | |
| Lynyrd Skynyrd | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 5 from 66th to 61st Music From Big Pink by The Band |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 61st to 62nd All Things Must Pass by George Harrison |
| Down 1 from 62nd to 63rd Being There by Wilco |
| Down 1 from 63rd to 64th At Last! by Etta James |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 174 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 174 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 03/29/2024 22:06 |  CassidyInc | | 100/100 |
| 90/100 | 06/11/2023 18:03 |  pedro1976 | | 84/100 |
| 100/100 | 06/03/2023 12:17 |  Schribes | | 99/100 |
| 80/100 | 03/06/2023 07:30 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 90/100 | 11/16/2022 17:06 | conallmalone | | 88/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.6/100, a mean average of 87.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 27 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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100/100
From CassidyInc 03/29/2024 22:06
CassidyInc 03/29/2024 22:06
Neat chart, but the write ups and historical perspective you've included for many of these albums make it something special. I had a good chuckle when I finally arrived to Loveless, the album I was most excited to hear your thoughts on, and there was nothing there!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From Moondance 03/06/2023 07:40
What I found most intriguing is where you actually argue in your comments why an album isn't that great - which is an unusual way to create a greatest 100 chart. A bit too US-orientated for my liking and too many so-so bands. Good to see one album each from Australia & New Zealand.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From samora 10/25/2022 14:15
Great chart, with impressive comments; very inspirational!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From leniad 07/12/2022 00:28
would appreciate more variety from coutries, genres
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Albumlover6789 02/03/2022 23:20
Lots of new music to discover here
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
rockbluesfolkjaz 10/19/2021 18:18
rockbluesfolkjaz 10/19/2021 18:18
There's a lot of excellent choices here. Many of which I'll be listening to as well. Thanks for this list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Johnnyo 07/18/2021 16:41
Stunning chart. I own 83 of the albums in your chart so it's inevitable that I'm going to love it. Also love the notes. Great addition.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From henrygreen0203 05/04/2021 18:55
Nothing but great records here!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
KitchenSink 01/19/2021 23:03
KitchenSink 01/19/2021 23:03
perfect soundtrack to being the only guy left in the rural middle-of-nowhere bar at 4AM (this may sound backhanded but I assure you it's high praise)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Mercury 01/14/2021 02:55
Mercury 01/14/2021 02:55
Still Crazy (good) after all these years.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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